At the invitation of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hunan Provincial People's Government, and organized by the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, a delegation of the U.S. Flying Tigers football team visited Hunan for exchange activities from August 3 to 6. Fifteen teenagers from across the United States participated in a transnational youth football friendly match with students from Lushan International Experimental School in Changsha, carrying forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers through football and building a bridge for China-U.S. youth exchanges.

This friendly match was hosted by Lushan International Experimental School. As Changsha's first school with a Flying Tigers friendship link, Lushan International Experimental School's football team has won five national championships. Head Coach Huang Youqing once led the team to the U14 division of the 2024 Norway Cup, where they secured third place—the best result ever achieved by a Chinese youth football team. "I hope both Chinese and American youth can enjoy the pure joy of football. We look forward to sharing football experience and insights with American youth," Coach Huang said before the match.

The 15 members of the U.S. Flying Tigers football team came from various schools across different states in the United States, and all of them were visiting China for the first time. Erik Lutz, head of the U.S. delegation and councilmember of the City of Pico Rivera, said in his remarks that 85 years ago, Flying Tigers pilots fought alongside China, and today, the football field has replaced the battlefield. He hoped that youth from both countries can promote peace and friendship through sports.

During the friendly match, Chinese and American youth competed fiercely, ultimately ending in a 3-3 draw. After the match, Pablo Salazar, coach of the U.S. team, said that he had been full of anticipation before the game. He spoke highly of the performance of the Chinese players, describing it as a high-quality contest, and noted that he experienced a football style distinctly different from that of the United States. Meanwhile, he was also deeply impressed by Changsha's night views and the warm hospitality of its residents.

During their visit to Hunan, the U.S. Flying Tigers football team delegation also visited places such as Broad Group, Orange Isle, Pozi Street, and Hunan Museum, gaining firsthand insights into Hunan's technological innovation, history and culture, and urban life. "I've tried so many delicious dishes in Hunan that I had never tasted in the U.S. It's really great," said one delegation member. "It's been very hot in Changsha the past two days, but I feel the people of Changsha are even warmer. I've taken plenty of photos and high-fived strangers—it's been a fantastic experience," another added.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Office of Hunan Provincial People's Government noted that the history of the Flying Tigers is a shared memory of the people of China and the United States. This visit of the U.S. Flying Tigers football team to Hunan uses football as a bridge to facilitate diverse exchanges, enabling American youth to gain a well-rounded, multifaceted understanding of a real, multidimensional, and comprehensive China. It is hoped that young people from both countries will enhance mutual understanding through competition and gain friendship through exchange, allowing the spirit of the Flying Tigers to renew its glamour in the new era and infusing people-to-people friendship between China and the United States with more youthful energy.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.
 
Translator: Xiao Juan
 
Chinese source: official WeChat account of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hunan Provincial People's Government